The Volkswagen and Audi Fraud Emissions Scandal

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, a leading national class action and consumer rights law firm, has launched a global investigation into allegations that automakers Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America (“Volkswagen”) used software in diesel vehicles to knowingly violate emissions standards.

On September 18, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation (“NOV”) of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) to car makers Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. The NOV alleges that four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars with model years 2009-2015 were equipped with computer software in their “Clean Diesel” cars that circumvents EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants. According to the EPA, the software produced by Volkswagen is a “defeat device,” as defined by the CAA.

Regulators in the State of California issued an In-Use Compliance letter to Volkswagen and initiated an enforcement investigation regarding all VW model-year 2009 through 2015 light-duty vehicles equipped with 2.0 liter engines.